Studio Roxander brings 'The Nutcracker' to life

Thursday

Dec 12, 2013 at 12:35 PMDec 16, 2013 at 10:55 AM

Watching "The Nutcracker" ballet makes you feel like you are in a picture book, says Elyse Roxander of Studio Roxander. The beloved ballet — a Christmas tradition for many — is complete with growing trees, magical dolls, life-size mice, flurries of snowflakes, angels on clouds, exotic treats and twirling fairies.

By Teresa Thomas

Watching "The Nutcracker" ballet makes you feel like you are in a picture book, says Elyse Roxander of Studio Roxander. The beloved ballet — a Christmas tradition for many — is complete with growing trees, magical dolls, life-size mice, flurries of snowflakes, angels on clouds, exotic treats and twirling fairies.

"The kids love it," Roxander says. "They love the party scene and the battle scene. The girls relate to Clara, and the boys relate to the Nutcracker and the Russian dancers. Children love seeing children. The adults will appreciate the choreography, the costuming and the professional level of dancing they can experience in a town this size."

This holiday, Studio Roxander presents its fourth annual production of "The Nutcracker," based on E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." The ballet will feature a cast of 76 youth dancers and 11 adults and choreography by Elyse and her husband, David Roxander, as well as some new, contemporary choreography for the Arabian dance by Kristen DeBellis.

In addition to some new choreography, the studio will debut several new costumes and a nutcracker solo in the second act. Reindeer also will be introduced to the snow scene. However, the story remains the same, opening with the eccentric craftsman Drosselmeyer in his workshop.

Drosselmeyer makes and, later at a party, gifts a wooden nutcracker doll to his goddaughter Clara. That night after the festivities, Clara falls asleep and later awakes in search of her doll, which she discovers has been captured by huge, terrifying mice and magically transformed into a handsome Nutcracker prince. A battle unfolds as the prince wages war against said mice, and then victorious, whisks Clara away in a sleigh to the enchanted Land of Snow, where she dances with snowflakes and reindeer.

"In the second act, Clara travels to the Kingdom of Sweets, where she is greeted by angels and meets the Sugar Plum Fairy," Elyse Roxander says. "Everyone in the land dances for her enjoyment, and at the end, all the characters fade away and the stage goes black. The next scene opens with Drosselmeyer asleep in his workshop ... and leaves you wondering whether it was all a dream or that the story is about to unfold."

The role of Clara is played by Isabella Jaffee Stafford, the Nutcracker by Ashton Roxander, Drosselmeyer by David Roxander, Drosselmeyer's apprentice by Finnian Carmeci, the Sugar Plum Fairy by Emma Dauterman, Clara's brother Fritz by Holden Jones, Mother Gigoine by Elyse Roxander, and other fanciful characters by young, talented students of Studio Roxander.

Tickets to the show cost $14 to $20, $10 to $16 for children 11 and younger, and are available at www.studioroxander.com or by calling 541-773-7272.